Shelby's horse flew at a speed that she had never reached before. Her hair
whipped back as the cold wind hit her face. She could see Ben Cartwright
working outside the ranch as she approached The Ponderosa.
Hearing the horse in the distance, Ben looked up and out over the land.
"Shelby," he said as she came to a stop in front of him. He could see the worried expression on her face. "Something's wrong," he said. "Is it the boys?"
"You better come with me, Ben."
Ben grabbed Shelby's arm. "Did something happen t one of my sons, Shelby?"
Shelby didn't want to worry Ben. Especially when she didn't know how serious Hoss' wound was. But then again, she didn't want to get his hopes up either. If the bullet hadn't only grazed his head, and Hoss died, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.
"Hoss was shot," she said. "I dunno how bad it is. Eli'n Dan'r with'm."
Ben's eyes widened. His greatest fear seemed to be becoming a reality. He was at a loss for words. How could this have happened?
Ben unhitched his horse from the post in front of the house and quickly climbed atop. Without even waiting for Shelby, he raced his horse towards town. He couldn't seem to get his horse to run fast enough. he blocked everything else out of his mind but his son.
Hoss had been complaining about going back into town again. There was so much that needed to be done at the ranch. Why didn't Ben just put Hoss to work in the South Pasture? Now his son lay somewhere in town, shot, and he didn't know how bad it was. He could only hope that he got to town soon.
***************************************************************
Adam paced back and forth outside the Trading Post. Little Joe sat, swinging his legs nervously as he watched his eldest brother. They wanted to run inside and go to Hoss, but at he same time, they were afraid of what might await them. They didn't know if Hoss were dead or alive.
Little Joe pushed forward in his seat, allowing his feet to hit the ground. "Adam?" he asked in a soft voice. "Is Hoss gonna die?"
Adam stopped in his tracks. He didn't know what to tell him. After a short pause, he said, "I don't know, Little Joe."
"They've been in there a long time."
"I know."
Little Joe thought for a minute. "Do you think we can go in there and see him?" Little Joe waited for his brother's answer. "Adam? Can we go in?"
Adam was silent. He was supposed to be able to take charge. He was supposed to be the stronger of the boys, able to keep his cool and remain rational. He should have had the answers, but he didn't.
Little Joe took his brother's silence as a 'no' as Adam took a seat beside him. Little Joe didn't say a word, but slid closer to Adam and put his head up against his brother's arm. A tear ran down Joe's face as Adam put his arm around him. Little Joe soon began to sob uncontrollably.
Adam needed to be strong for Little Joe. He needed to hold in his emotions, remain solid.
"Adam?" Eli appeared in the doorway of the Trading Post. Adam looked up at him. "Would you like to take your little brother upstairs?"
Little Joe looked up at Adam through his glazed and bloodshot eyes. "Is he OK?" Little Joe asked, shifting his attention to Eli.
"Little Joe," Adam said. "Why don't you go on upstairs and sit with Hoss. I'll be up in a little while." Little Joe was afraid to move. "It's OK," Adam told him. "Go on."
Little Joe slowly walked into the store. Adam stood and approached Eli. "How is he?" Adam asked.
"I am not a doctor, Adam," said Eli, "but I can tell that the bullet only scratched his head."
"So he's awake?"
"Adam, Hoss must have hit his head when he fell. He has a bruise and...he is not awake."
Adam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I think I'll go sit with him for a while," he said.
Eli nodded and followed Adam upstairs into the room. Adam slowly walked up to his brother's bed and Eli approached Big Dan.
"Perhaps one of us should go to for a doctor," Eli said.
"I'll go," Big Dan said. "The doc's travelin' through Hangtown. I'll get'm here."
As Big Dan left the room, Adam looked down at Little Joe, sitting on the edge of Hoss' bed. Neither boy said a word, but watched silently.
"Adam!" they heard from outside the door. Adam stood and ran to the door. Ben rapidly approached.
Adam?" Little Joe said excitedly as Ben entered the room. "Look."
In his bed, Hoss gently stirred. Hoss?" Ben said as Hoss' eyes began to twitch.
"Hoss," Adam said, "We're all here."
Hoss' eyes opened and his head slowly turned to both sides. "Pa?" he said with nervousness in his voice. "Adam?..Where are you? I...I can't see you! I can't see!"
Hearing the horse in the distance, Ben looked up and out over the land.
"Shelby," he said as she came to a stop in front of him. He could see the worried expression on her face. "Something's wrong," he said. "Is it the boys?"
"You better come with me, Ben."
Ben grabbed Shelby's arm. "Did something happen t one of my sons, Shelby?"
Shelby didn't want to worry Ben. Especially when she didn't know how serious Hoss' wound was. But then again, she didn't want to get his hopes up either. If the bullet hadn't only grazed his head, and Hoss died, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.
"Hoss was shot," she said. "I dunno how bad it is. Eli'n Dan'r with'm."
Ben's eyes widened. His greatest fear seemed to be becoming a reality. He was at a loss for words. How could this have happened?
Ben unhitched his horse from the post in front of the house and quickly climbed atop. Without even waiting for Shelby, he raced his horse towards town. He couldn't seem to get his horse to run fast enough. he blocked everything else out of his mind but his son.
Hoss had been complaining about going back into town again. There was so much that needed to be done at the ranch. Why didn't Ben just put Hoss to work in the South Pasture? Now his son lay somewhere in town, shot, and he didn't know how bad it was. He could only hope that he got to town soon.
***************************************************************
Adam paced back and forth outside the Trading Post. Little Joe sat, swinging his legs nervously as he watched his eldest brother. They wanted to run inside and go to Hoss, but at he same time, they were afraid of what might await them. They didn't know if Hoss were dead or alive.
Little Joe pushed forward in his seat, allowing his feet to hit the ground. "Adam?" he asked in a soft voice. "Is Hoss gonna die?"
Adam stopped in his tracks. He didn't know what to tell him. After a short pause, he said, "I don't know, Little Joe."
"They've been in there a long time."
"I know."
Little Joe thought for a minute. "Do you think we can go in there and see him?" Little Joe waited for his brother's answer. "Adam? Can we go in?"
Adam was silent. He was supposed to be able to take charge. He was supposed to be the stronger of the boys, able to keep his cool and remain rational. He should have had the answers, but he didn't.
Little Joe took his brother's silence as a 'no' as Adam took a seat beside him. Little Joe didn't say a word, but slid closer to Adam and put his head up against his brother's arm. A tear ran down Joe's face as Adam put his arm around him. Little Joe soon began to sob uncontrollably.
Adam needed to be strong for Little Joe. He needed to hold in his emotions, remain solid.
"Adam?" Eli appeared in the doorway of the Trading Post. Adam looked up at him. "Would you like to take your little brother upstairs?"
Little Joe looked up at Adam through his glazed and bloodshot eyes. "Is he OK?" Little Joe asked, shifting his attention to Eli.
"Little Joe," Adam said. "Why don't you go on upstairs and sit with Hoss. I'll be up in a little while." Little Joe was afraid to move. "It's OK," Adam told him. "Go on."
Little Joe slowly walked into the store. Adam stood and approached Eli. "How is he?" Adam asked.
"I am not a doctor, Adam," said Eli, "but I can tell that the bullet only scratched his head."
"So he's awake?"
"Adam, Hoss must have hit his head when he fell. He has a bruise and...he is not awake."
Adam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I think I'll go sit with him for a while," he said.
Eli nodded and followed Adam upstairs into the room. Adam slowly walked up to his brother's bed and Eli approached Big Dan.
"Perhaps one of us should go to for a doctor," Eli said.
"I'll go," Big Dan said. "The doc's travelin' through Hangtown. I'll get'm here."
As Big Dan left the room, Adam looked down at Little Joe, sitting on the edge of Hoss' bed. Neither boy said a word, but watched silently.
"Adam!" they heard from outside the door. Adam stood and ran to the door. Ben rapidly approached.
Adam?" Little Joe said excitedly as Ben entered the room. "Look."
In his bed, Hoss gently stirred. Hoss?" Ben said as Hoss' eyes began to twitch.
"Hoss," Adam said, "We're all here."
Hoss' eyes opened and his head slowly turned to both sides. "Pa?" he said with nervousness in his voice. "Adam?..Where are you? I...I can't see you! I can't see!"
